Slice
In tennis, a slice is a shot hit with backspin by swinging high-to-low through the ball, producing a low, skidding bounce. (This differs from a golf slice, which is a curving mishit.)
The tennis slice is produced by an open racquet face moving high-to-low through the ball, which imparts backspin. The racquet starts above the intended contact height, brushes down the back of the ball. The open face angle prevents the ball from rolling over and generating topspin. The result is a ball rotating backward on a horizontal axis. This means backspin. This means which interacts with the court surface on bounce to stay low and skid through rather than rising. This low, fast skid is what makes the slice. As a result, effective as an approach shot. This means the opponent must hit up from a low contact point. This produces a defensive ball.
Tactically, the slice is one of the most versatile shots in tennis. As an approach shot it keeps the ball low and gives the slicer time to advance to the net. As a defensive return of a heavy topspin ball, it neutralizes pace and buys recovery time. In a serve-plus-one pattern, a slice to the backhand corner after a wide serve keeps the opponent stretched and the court open. Against a heavy baseline player, mixing slices into a topspin rally disrupts rhythm by changing pace, spin, and bounce height at the same time. This means forcing the opponent to recalibrate on every shot.
The backhand slice is far more common than the forehand slice at all levels. The biomechanics favor it. This means the high-to-low motion on a backhand side follows a natural arm path with an open face. By contrast, the forehand slice requires unusual wrist positioning that most players find awkward. That said, the forehand slice. This means sometimes called a "squash shot" on low balls. This means is a legitimate weapon when a ball drops sharply to the dominant side. Each version uses the same principle but different grip and stance. This means the backhand slice typically uses a continental grip with the body turned sideways. The forehand slice is often hit with an eastern or semi-western grip from an open stance when retrieving a wide or low ball.
Note: "slice" is a true cross-sport homonym. In golf a slice is an unwanted left-to-right curving ball flight (for a right-hander) caused by an open face and an outside-in swing path. This means a mishit, not a deliberate technique. In tennis, a slice is a deliberately controlled backspin stroke. These are separate glossary entries; this entry covers the tennis usage only.
Keep the racquet face open and swing THROUGH the ball rather than chopping at it. Think of guiding the ball forward with the face slightly tilted back — the goal is backspin plus depth, not just a downward chop.
Vary the amount of slice to change the shot's character. A heavy backspin slice stays very low after the bounce and is effective as an approach or change-of-pace ball. A flatter slice. This means less open face, more forward swing direction. This means picks up pace and penetrates deeper. This makes it useful as a neutralizer against heavy topspin or as a drive rather than a defensive lob.
Example
A player slices a backhand approach so it skids low, forcing the opponent to hit up and giving time to move to the net.
Why it matters
The slice is one of the few shots that changes pace, spin, and bounce height all at once. Adding a reliable backhand slice to a topspin game creates patterns the opponent must constantly re-read.
How it shows up on video
Watch the racquet path direction. This means a slice shows the head moving from clearly above the contact point to below it through the hitting zone, with the face visibly open (tilted back) at contact. After contact, the ball trajectory will typically be flatter than a topspin shot and will skid low rather than kicking up after the bounce.
Common mistakes
- Chopping too steeply. This means swinging the racquet nearly straight down rather than through the ball at a shallower angle. This means producing a very short, slow slice with no depth or penetration.
- Closing the racquet face too much at contact, which generates topspin instead of backspin and nullifies the intended shot entirely.
- Reaching for the slice defensively when an aggressive topspin drive was the correct choice. This means using the slice as a default when under pressure. This gives the opponent an easy high ball to attack.
- Rolling the wrist at contact to add power, which closes the face and again removes the backspin that makes the shot effective.
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
SwingVantage can identify racquet path direction and estimate ball rotation after contact from video. A slice shows a distinctly high-to-low path with an open face angle at contact. This means visible in frame-by-frame analysis as a different swing signature from a topspin or flat drive.
Across sports
- Tennis
- A deliberate backspin stroke (high-to-low).
- Golf
- An unwanted left-to-right curving ball flight.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a tennis slice and a golf slice?
"Slice" is a cross-sport homonym — the word means entirely different things in the two sports. In tennis, a slice is a deliberate, controlled backspin shot produced by an open face moving high-to-low. In golf, a slice is an unwanted curving mishit (left-to-right for a right-hander) caused by an open face at impact combined with an outside-in swing path. The two have nothing in common mechanically; the shared word is historical coincidence.
When should I use a slice instead of topspin?
Use a slice when you want to change the pace and bounce height of the rally, when approaching the net and you need a low, skidding ball that the opponent must hit up on, when defending against a heavy topspin ball and needing to neutralize pace, or when the ball is very low and a topspin drive would require too much risk. Avoid it when you are in an attacking position and the ball is at a comfortable height. This means topspin or a flat drive will generally be more effective offensively.
Related terms
- TopspinTopspin is forward spin imparted by brushing up the back of the ball. It makes the ball dip down into the court and kick up high after the bounce.
- SliceA slice bleeds away to the right for a right-handed golfer, costing both distance and fairway. It is the most common miss in the game, and it comes from a face pointing right of the head's direction of travel.
- Slice ServeA slice serve applies sidespin by brushing around the outside of the ball. This causes it to curve away from a right-handed server's deuce-side opponent and stay low after the bounce.
- Backhand Slice GripThe backhand slice grip is typically a continental or mild eastern-backhand grip that opens the racquet face naturally, supporting the high-to-low swing path used to produce underspin.
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